HACKING IS ILLEGAL...READ THIS BEFORE YOU HACK OR IF YOU HAVE ALREADY HACKED

[~RANSAK THE ELDER~]

This warning is for all those who have little or no integrity and cheat with hacks of any kind. It is illegal. Sanctions include civil and criminal penalties if caught hacking.

Here is the Law on the matter:

All software issued by the makers of any publicly released game such as COD etc is copyrighted. Hacking violates that copyright which is a federal offense. It does not matter if the game was purchased. Purchasing the game merely grants a license to use the game to the purchasor (read your End User License Agreement). Now, the current sanction if cauight hacking is bannishment from Steam etc. Big deal. Hackers, once caught, are going to be subjected to legal action, including possible criminal prosecution for Criminal Mischief, Theft of Service, Criminal Tampering, Computer Fraud etc. Each of these charges are tytpically Misdemeanors. However, in most jurisdictions, being charged with 2 or more misdemeanors arising from the same act is a felony. It is up to the prosecuting authority to determine if felony charges will be pursued. The penalty schedule for most misdemeanors is imprisonment for up to 1 year. Like most new prosecution cases, the first few offenders are usually made examples of and receive harsher punishment. If the defendant is a minor, that is, under the age of 18, the minor offendor may be remanded into juvenile custody for the term of the sentence. In addition, offendors with juvenile status also potentially subject their parents or legal guardian to legal sanctions for not exercising control over the actions of the minor. That means mom and dad get into trouble as well. Now, using your Steam account with a tampered program is like robbing a bank and using your own car as the getawacy vehicle. It matters not if you have multiple accounts under different names. If you have the skills to hack, then you already know that anytime you are on line, you are not totally anonymous. They can and will find you. I promise. Who would like to be the first?

Here's how the civil aspect plays out:

The Civil penalties could include fines upward of $250,000 for Copyright violations. This does not include judgement for damages incurred by Steam and the game manufacturer which has the potential to be rather steap. Again, read your EULA.

How does hacking cause a potential for damages?

Simple. The inherent enjoyment and usability of the mulitplayer feature of the online gameplay is diminished due to the presence of hackers. Like anythjing else, it is cheating. As a result, the integrity of the intended characteristics of the service is reduced. Other players may stop using the service or otherwise, have a negative exerience which results in a negative opinion thereby tarnishing the name and reputation of the service providers. Thus, a civil damage is the result. Anyone remember Napster? Anyone read about individuals being hauled into Court for pirating multimedia? This is no difference when copyrighted material is hacked. It all lives under The Intellectual Property Law. I encourage you to check it out.

Now, I know that many who read this who are hacking this game will not believe it or perhaps, will think "it cant happen to me". I assure you.....it can and it will. Do not make the typical smart person mistake and believe you are smarter than everyone else in the room. There are geeks out there who's sole job is to hunt other geeks and they do their job well.

So, if you are hacking or thinking about hacking....don't. It's not worth it. If you know someone who is hacking, spread the word. Unless you have graduated from Law School and have practiced Civil Liability or Criminal Law, please do not regail us with your novice counter arguments. The point of this post was not to spark some useless legal debate. Just do everyone a favor, and dont cheat.

Thanks for reading. Contructive, intelligent replies are welcomed and encouraged.

Happy new year and happy gaming!

[TacTicToe]

First. Your caps lock key seems to be sticky.

Second. As with all things illegal, it is only illegal IF you get caught.

Third. US Laws and Copyright laws are not international. Your fine, civil penalties etc only apply to the ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥ in US courts.

Fourth. Your post is so full of so much epic fail, I am just too tired and indifferent to really spend the time educating you.

Good luck continuing to spread your propaganda.

[~RANSAK THE ELDER~]

Here ya go. Have a read.

http://www.ncsl.org/research/telecommunications-and-information-technology/computer-hacking-and-unauthorized-access-laws.aspx

Copy Right Laws are indeed protected internationally. Try looking up the Berne Convention for the Protection of Literary and Artistic Works (Berne Convention) and the Universal Copyright Convention (UCC).

Now, if you aren't too tired, perhaps you can muster the energy to go phuk yourself. Thanks.

[xx420DETHHEDGEHOGXX]

Too bad you're full of ♥♥♥♥.

"Unless you have graduated from Law School and have practiced Civil Liability or Criminal Law, please do not regail us with your novice counter arguments."

Obviously you have no experience in the legal field otherwise you would realize that using a game hack is in no way illegal. The only real case on the books regarding cheating in online games is in "MDY Industries, LLC v. Blizzard Entertainment, Inc.", which found that using a modified client for game hacking does NOT violate constitute copyright infringement, though it violated the DMCA anti-circumvention provision. However, you cannot be criminally prosecuted under the DMCA unless you commercially profited from a willful violation.

Also there hasn't been, and likely never will be, a DMCA lawsuit versus an individual who uses game hacks. That's assuming they even reside in a country that even cares remotely about the DMCA.

Also, the link you provided protects against the traditional concept of hacking, as in, breaking into a computer system without authorization. A better article would be http://www.mto.com/Templates/media/files/Reprints/Blavin%20Art%20Winter%202014.pdf


Just popping in because I hate it when people who don't know the law make ♥♥♥♥ up.

[~RANSAK THE ELDER~]

Originally posted by Big Digger Nick:

Too bad you're full of ♥♥♥♥.

"Unless you have graduated from Law School and have practiced Civil Liability or Criminal Law, please do not regail us with your novice counter arguments."

Obviously you have no experience in the legal field otherwise you would realize that using a game hack is in no way illegal. The only real case on the books regarding cheating in online games is in "MDY Industries, LLC v. Blizzard Entertainment, Inc.", which found that using a modified client for game hacking does NOT violate constitute copyright infringement, though it violated the DMCA anti-circumvention provision. However, you cannot be criminally prosecuted under the DMCA unless you commercially profited from a willful violation.

Also there hasn't been, and likely never will be, a DMCA lawsuit versus an individual who uses game hacks. That's assuming they even reside in a country that even cares remotely about the DMCA.

Also, the link you provided protects against the traditional concept of hacking, as in, breaking into a computer system without authorization. A better article would be http://www.mto.com/Templates/media/files/Reprints/Blavin%20Art%20Winter%202014.pdf


Just popping in because I hate it when people who don't know the law make ♥♥♥♥ up.

Dont quit your day job, sunshine.

Try reading a little more about the issue. According to this article, 3 kids were arrested in Japan for cheating in a video game....and that's Japan. So, it seems the issue us already getting traction in other countries.

I could provide actual case law precedent for you, but, I highly doubt you have the knowledge or legal vocabulary to understand their meaning.

https://www.techdirt.com/articles/20140625/08443327682/future-is-now-cheating-online-games-leads-to-arrests-japan.shtml

If you are so well versed in the law, which you arent, you would immediately recognize that the makers of a video game have rights under the Intellectual Proprty Law and Copyright Law. That is why there is a EULA. When the game code itself is altered by the end user (that's the cheater), they have violated the EULA. Violation of the EULA and the sanctions for the same are spelled out in the Copyright Law that has a criminal penalty schedule as well as civil penalties.

The only think left to make this a viable cause of action under Federal Law is damages. It's not a stretch by any means to understand that game play in the COD world has dropped off in part due to cheaters. A drop off in players equals loss of revenue for the game makers. That's called damages.

On the other hand, the game producers and those who are supposedly "policing" on line game play from cheaters have a "duty." For this part, I encourage you to look up the legal definition of the term "duty."

Now, VAC has an inherent duty given it's role as the watchdog of online game play. That duty is to effectively eliminate cheaters. This is not being done. As a result, it is causing an alarming number of players who have purchased the game to likewise suffer damages. The online game play experience is diminished by and through the presence of cheaters and therefore, the folks who buy the game are not getting their money's worth.

So, there are damages on both sides of the issue.

Now, when companies such as Sledgehammer Games and Activision start losing millions because no one wants to play anymore due to cheaters, they are likely going to take action.

However, initiating legal action in this matter is not dependent on the game manufacturers or players taking action. In theory, the government could step in.

Now, if I may make a suggestion, next time, try not to be such a fool. You have no idea who the people are who post on these forums nor do you have any idea what their professional background may be. The only thing you have successfully accomplished is announcing to the readers the depth of your ignorance and how woefully undeveloped your social skills really are.

Try and work on that....mkay, pumpkin?

Thanks

[xx420DETHHEDGEHOGXX]

First off, that wasn't an arrest for hacking and using an aimbot or whatever. That was an arrest because they sold the tool for a large profit. They made over $79,000 USD from selling the tool. That also means that wasn't an example of breaking the EULA = arrested.

In the US, the Supreme Court already ruled that game hacks DO NOT violate copyright law.

GAME HACKS ARE NOT A VIOLATION OF COPYRIGHT LAW PER THE SUPREME COURT.

In addition if a company were to try to press charges for a violation of the EULA, then they're going to be getting whole lot of bad PR.

This is an issue similar to piracy, where damages are nearly impossible to accurately calculate.
Sure people quit because of hackers. Good luck actually figuring out how much Activision or EA actually lost revenue because of the hackers, or if they lost revenue because the game wasn't good.

In addition, how do you expect to collect these damages? Sue a random hacker for several million?

The government isn't going to step in over cheating in video games.

EDIT:
Take a look at this. I'm assuming since you're incredibly condescending about law, that you have a good understanding of it. This is a decision from when Nintendo sued Galoob Toys over the Game Genie for people hacking their games. While those were single player games, this is still directly related to our argument.

http://www.leagle.com/decision/19912063780FSupp1283_11881.xml/LEWIS%20GALOOB%20TOYS,%20INC.%20v.%20NINTENDO%20OF%20AMERICA,%20INC.

EDIT 2: Corrected the game, wrong article

[~RANSAK THE ELDER~]

In the first instance, I appreciate your choice to intelligently argue the point rather than engage in hostile drivel that serves no purpose whatsoever as you did in your previous post. Hence, my retaliatory response. Assuming we can maintain a mutual respect for one another's opinions, I will be happy to maintain on ongoing dialogue of this issue.

I am not aware of the US Supreme Court addressing the issue of cheating and hacking as it relates to the fact specific issue of altering a gaming program such as COD to attain an unnatural advantage or the collateral damge caused to the gaming ecosystem. If you have such a case site, I would be very interested to read it.

In the case that you cited, there are several points that would otherwise distinguish it from the issue of cheating as it relates to our issue.

1. Was the issue of "cheating", as in the context of our discussion, materially or otherwise considered by the Galoob Court. Given the age of the case (1991), I would argue that it was not since the code for games such as COD etc were not in existence which means by definition the "species" of cheat codes used in COD and other games did not exist. Therefore, "cheating" or altering the game code arguably does not fit the Court's narrow definiton of the term.

2. In 1991, on line game play did not exist in the numbers and popularity that it does today, if it existed at all. In fact, many consumers buy COD and other games specifically for the online game play experience. In Galoob case, consumers bought the game for their own enjoyment, which was a pivotal finding by the Court. While COD cheaters may alter the game for their own enjoyment, as was the case in the matter of Galoob, the Galoob matter did not have evidence of the collateral effects cheating had on other non-cheating players. That distills into a question of whether or not non-cheating players' "personal enjoyment" has been materially effected by the cheaters. A strong argument can be made in support of this theory.

3. The Galoob Court found that a "Family's "non-commercial", home use of it's video games creates a presumption of Fair Use." In other words, the Galoob Court presumed, in the absence of substantial evidence to the contrary, that the Fair Use Doctrine applied. Since the Petitioner could not prove the use of the device by the end user was for profit, the presumption in this regard was preserved. That is not the case with cheating in the context of our debate. Most of the hacks and cheats are produced by 3rd party enitites "for profit" which immediately and affirmatively rebuts the presumption of fair use. in addition, since the end user is not using the game for "privtate home use" given the hacked games are being used on a publicly accessible internet medium, the presumption of "fair use" utilized by the Galoob Court cannot apply. Now, an argument can be made that a P2P format is not "public". However, that argument failed in the Napster litigation and there is no reasonable expectation such an argument would be any more persuasive in the instant matter.

4. The Galoob decision may have precedential value when it comes to the "published nature" of the COD games. Of course, COD does not come "pre-hacked". A cheater must first buy the game and then, apply the cheat code. The Galoob Court found that... "[O]nly after acquiring a published copy of the game may its owner use it in combination with the Game Genie." That provdes a direct parallel to the instant issue insofar that it is only after the COD game is purchased does the user apply the hack. However, since the presumption of "Fair Use" cannot be invoked, this argument could very well be meritless.

There are other areas of the Galoob decision that are readily distinguishable from the instant issue of cheating in the COD world such as a market for the cheating software, adverse effects on sales, harm to the gaming community etc.

The issue of game hacking/cheating in the online gaming era would most likely be a case of first impression for any Court that hears this fact specific issue. However, in my opinion (which is based on 15 years of legal practice), hacking a game for the purpose of gaining an advantage in a public forum where players must pay for the privilege of playing on line, patently violates Copy Right Law and the Doctrine of Fair use. Moreover, those who sell cheats and hacks for profit could be subject to more harsh penalties.

If you have that USSC case you spoke of, I would like to read it.

Thanks.

[>gb< Capt Jack Marrow]

whatever is coming wants to happen fast.EVERY SINGLE GAME tonight has 5+ blatent aimbots and wallers in.dont count on steam pulling anything out the bag because quite frankly they suck.if your gonna pin your hopes on anything,pray for the game companies to do something but dont hold your breath waiting for steam.

[Dbl:Tap]

You welcome for your 3rd vac ban http://steamcommunity.com/profiles/76561198033191077

Originally posted by FuBoom 3.0 Developer:

can't we just cheat and be left alone...

[VI ^680]

The steam and VAC admins is useless, can't stop cheaters! ha ha ha